Obama’s Speech
March 18th, 2008 by Maria EvansIn case you missed it, Barack Obama gave his speech about race and religion today. You can read the whole thing HERE. This is a little taste of it:
I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely – just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren’t simply controversial. They weren’t simply a religious leader’s effort to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems – two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Given my background, my politics, and my professed values and ideals, there will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way.
But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God’s work here on Earth – by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.Â
Good speech, as usual. Will it be enough?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Maria: When I was listening to Mr. Obama’s speech I knew you would be the first to post about it. Good work, as usual. I really do think that the man tried to fix the problem about Rev. Wright, but I seriously do not believe that anything he says will help him at this stage of the game. I feel that too many people were very repulsed by the reverend’s actions and no explaining will make it better. I may be wrong, but that is only my opinion.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Certainly a great speech. One of his best. Only thing that bothered me is his “classification” of people (women and minorities). Seems like the same old liberal rhetoric. Just once I would like to hear him accentuate the positives rather than the negatives. ‘nough said.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
To be honest, I’m a bit puzzled as to what all the fuss was about over Rev. Wright and/or Obama’s association with his church. How often, how many times, do we beg to keep government and religioun seperate? Obama freely admitted he had heard same or similar comments from his pastor over the years as a congregant of Wright’s church. Obviously they did not affect him much until now for if he didn’t see the need to abandon his pastor and sometime mentor during thirty years of sermons, why should he do so today? Rev Wright apparently is wont to speak his beliefs and opinions freely and has obviously not changed them simply because one of the sons of his church decided to run for the highest office. In other words…neither has flip-flopped to suit a mercurial purpose. And THAT I have to respect. That would be aside from the fact that Rev. Wright really did not say much that thousands of other of his countrymen of all races, ethnicity and colour haven’t already been saying for years.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Barack Obama delivered an excellent speech! Obama’s much-anticipated speech on ‘race’ hit the appropriate tone. The speech was well thought out and moving. Obama’s speech was personal and right on the mark.
The majority of Americans are voting for real change, honesty with transparency in OUR government because ‘we the people’ pay the bills along with the salaries of all those who think they are all knowing and or better than us. If Americans DO look past and tune out all these media hacks; Barack Obama ‘will be’ and ’should be’ the next Democratic candidate for the job of President of these United States.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Obama and his vapid aphorisms….zzzzzzzzzzzzz. I noticed he mentioned the courts, marches and protests as being crucial to the ’struggle,’ but neglected to mention Fredericksburg, Gettysburg or Shiloh. Well, I guess Jesse Jackson and John Lewis rank a lot higher than Grant, Sherman or Sheridan….after all, the introductory speaker (Wofford-sic?) compared Obama favorably to George Washington and Lincoln.
In my opinion, Obama is merely another Al Sharpton, a bit more polished perhaps, but a huckster at the core….with the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate.
“Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!”
March 19th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
If Obama thinks for a minute he can justify his pastors remarks by claiming that ” I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis ” I have never heard anything remotely similar, and if I did I would walk out of the church. His congragation cheered him on. Then Obama justifies what his pastor says by telling white America they don’t understand. This is the 21 century I think most Americans understand racism and it effects, most of us working to erase it from our minds and treat each other as equals. Obama could have choose not to respond to the remarks therefore distancing himself. Instead we get another guilt trip about how we don’t understand.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Did either of you two read/listen to Obama’s speech?
Like I said before, Rick, you should read his book before you make so many assumptions which may well be wrong.
And josaralx, like Obama indicated, there are some like you that do not yet understand. Hopefully that will change.
Obama’s speech was essentially a call to start a new dialog meant to promote more understanding of others, leading to a more unified nation as we go forward with the huge challenges that face us. Otherwise, chances of our recovery/survival will be so much less likely.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:13 am
I saw the delivery of the speech, and read most of it from the text published on the internet as he delivered it. As speeches go, I suppose it was a good one. He read it VERBATIM from the text. I saw him very eloquently state, what he perceived as, the most important problems and issues facing this nation, but saw very little in the way of solutions. It was little more than an unconvincing rationalization of the incendiary statements (and beliefs) made by Rev. Wright, and his long term relationship with his pastor and “mentor”. It would have been more convincing, and perhaps more honest, if he said he spent the last 20 years hanging with the Reverend for *street cred* in Chicago, instead of sacrificing the integrity of his Grandmother (”a typical white person”) in an attempt to justify his actions.
In short, if I were to use speech writing, and the ability to read it flawlessly from a Tele-Prompter, as the criteria to select the President, I’d switch from Independent to Democrat and buy some Kool-Aid.
March 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Do any of you actually thing the major candidates play a large role in writing their own speeches?
Can I interest you in some Arizona real estate?